We haven’t been this flummoxed by anything the mailman brought since that time a few years back when a six-digit federal tax refund check was mistakenly delivered to our address. (Don’t be silly, friends. Of course we opened it! Then, with considerable reluctance, we returned it to the IRS.)

But yesterday’s mailbox moment was altogether different. We and pretty much everyone else in the county received a six-panel glossy brochure, from which we learned that Humboldt County’s prosperous future is all but guaranteed, because—wait for it—our very own Mark Lovelace is very much on the job.

His Community Forestry Team, a group that has left no record of its existence except as a front-organization for a single land-acquisition scheme, promises “community stability for Humboldt County’s future by providing a permanent balance of timber jobs and environmental protection.”

And how does it intend to achieve this?

Oh. Well. There we go with the questions.

The truth is, we don’t actually know, because the brochure, entitled “Humboldt’s Future HANGS IN THE BALANCE,” is surprisingly lacking in the specifics department.

The brochure tells us it is “a vision of conservation organizations, timberland and mill owners, forest industry workers and local Humboldt County residents.”

And what are its plans?

We return to the brochure for the answer to that important question. “The Great Redwood Forest is a vision of permanent protection that will provide timber jobs for current and future generations, as well as a community ownership stake to promote sustainable forest management.”

And how does it intend to do that? What are its funding sources? How much money does it have? Does it propose to buy Palco’s timberlands at auction? If so, what happens to the mill? What is its business model? Where is its business plan? How much timber will it harvest each year? How many timber and mill workers will it employ? Which of the reorganization plans under consideration does it back? Would it operate as a nonprofit? If so, what happens to the average $1.5 million Humboldt County receives each year in property taxes from Palco?

In response to these questions we are referred again to “The Great Redwood Forest vision” and a website equally lacking in concrete detail. In fact, attorneys for the Nature Conservancy successfully fought to block release of that information on the same day its website, ostensibly created to answer such questions, was registered.

But the brochure was printed with the blessings of the Graphic Communications International Union on Forest Stewardship Council-certified card stock using genuine soy ink, so it’s all good.

The future of one of Humboldt County’s most important resources does indeed HANG IN THE BALANCE, but what we are offered by the Lovelace consortium are visions and soy ink, courtesy of an organization that has existed for four days.

Not to piss on anyone’s parade or anything, but these are worth less to us than a $324,655 tax refund check made payable to some rich dude in San Jose.

Whatcha wanna bet that Bon Bon, who can no longer get elected to anything, is in line for a fine job with this new organization if they succeed in their unlikely buy out scheme. Could this be payback for her bizarre antics over the TPZ thing which drastically lowered the value of PL’s timberland? Maybe this is also why Code Enforcement is so active which reduces the value of another big chunk of land. Possibly this also is why Planning is pushing so hard on zoning changes further reducing the value of timberland and ag land. What you ask, does this have to do with Lovelace and friends buying PL’s land? Could it be to lower the price they have to pay so that their new fat paychecks can be bigger? Imagine, Bon Bon, Lovelace, and Girard in their new adjoining offices with a view of the “Great Redwood Forest”. It is all getting clearer now.

The bugster failed to mention that no less than the Governor, Mike Thompson, ***EPIC*** and the Eureka Chamber have all endorsed the Mendocino Redwood Company plan over both the PALCO and “Community Forest Team” plans.

Of COURSE 956 “gets” it, Rose – bit when its THEIR well-intentioned allies who obviosly know so much more than the rest of us, its ok…its not fraud, its not disingenous, its…uhhmmm…its…well, its bullshit, but since they know better than us, we really shouldng be asking any questions of them or questioning their motives…

so who does everyone want to take over ownership of PALCO, its timberlands and the town of Scotia? i take it from reading this thread that people would be happy with ANYONE owning it other than a guy named lovelace…..is this really about jobs and the timber industry, or is this just a witchhunt to smear a guy named lovelace….looks like the latter to me……..

Maybe the biggest joke of this whole thing is that it doesn’t matter who we want to take ownership of Palco. All the op-eds and endorsements, town hall meetings and glossy mailers–you’d think this was a popularity contest instead of a bankruptcy process.

I think it treats Mark Lovelace as the out-front man for yet another phony dot-org of the far left, which evidently he is. And to a previous poster, I don’t see anything at all rhetorical about the questions, or any obstacle to answering them in this convenient give-and-take blog format. If a four-day-old org wants to take over a complex multi-million dollar company, it should anticipate questions and provide answers. That mailer was a joke. All flash, zero substance.

The questions are retorical because the author knows they will not be answered in this way. Anyone or organization that engages in this format knows that responding to anonymous kooks on blogs just goes nowhere and is a waste of time. I recommend that if you have questions that you ask the organization or person directly. But with your mind made up as it seems, I don’t think there would be much value in that.

Lovelace didn’t have to use this forum. He sent out tens of thousands of mailers and could’ve answered the obvious questions there. He could have answered them on the websites they hastily threw together to make themselves look like a real organization. But he didn’t. Instead lawyers representing him blocked discovery of that information. Why do you think that is? Vision, vision, vision, see website. Vision, vision, vision. That’s all the answer I need.

Lovelace is listed as an Executive Committee member next to, among others, Art Harwood. So someone asked on my blog, what about Harwood – and then info started coming in… Harwood’s website also is all flowery and eco-groovy – …working to create a system of “sustained development” which fosters equalibrium with their communities, resources and environment…. They also had big plans… To improve its position in an ever more competetive industry, Harwood Products has embarked on a $20,000,000 expansion of their production facility. Already in their fourth year of this expansion, Harwood added a trimmer/optimizer to the sawmill in 1995, a new planer in 1996 and installed a new head-rig in 1997. An edger/optimizer, originally scheduled for 2000, has been delayed due to economic conditions. The edger/optimizer will be followed by a sorter for the sawmill and other capital improvements which will double Harwood’s production capacity and turn the Harwood plant into a first class production facility (I don’t think the website has been updated recently)

NOW – The mill has been closed all winter, supposed to reopen on May 1 with just one shift, no insurance benefits, etc…

It’s said that Mendocino Redwood was thinking of buying them out, but they don’t have any timber lands anymore.

Then there is a rumor that there was a “group of investors” that didn’t work out…

2:03 p.m., below is the paragraph containing all of those pesky questions you dislike. Please clarify which of them is rhetorical, because they all seem like serious and appropriate inquiries to me.

“How does it intend to do that? What are its funding sources? How much money does it have? Does it propose to buy Palco’s timberlands at auction? If so, what happens to the mill? What is its business model? Where is its business plan? How much timber will it harvest each year? How many timber and mill workers will it employ? Which of the reorganization plans under consideration does it back? Would it operate as a nonprofit? If so, what happens to the average $1.5 million Humboldt County receives each year in property taxes from Palco?”

This is all Local Solutions, Mark Lovelace pr garbage. Notice the bar code on the bottom of the postage paid envelope, this allows these guys to track you easily and enter your name as friend or foe on their voter lists. As quick as you can by a gallon of milk at the grocery store these guys can enter your name on to their voter lists.

Once they have this they start pushing their agenda each election, praying for low voter turnout among the working class (you know those that actually have a job and come home tired at night) taking over city council meetings with their mindless speaches and rants. Then they start orgainzing high voter turnout in low turnout elections (look at Pat Higgin win people). These groups do not represent Humboldt County’s commong voice. They are a very vocal, orgainized minority that will stop at nothing to get there politicial agendas achieved.

Also the harwood info above is correct, the mill has a very limited log source and no owned and controlled timberlands, without a steady log supply they are vunerable to market shifts and losing customers (lumber yards don’t like it when a vendor can not meet an order) This senariou is Eel River Sawmills all over again. Of course Art Harwood is signed on he needs a job.

The only answer for PL to become “The Great Redwood Forest” in order to provide working timberlands and real jobs is to have an experienced successful timber operator with a strong customer list in charge. Mendocino Redwood brings this to the table people. Not this Mark Lovelace/Dr. Ken Miller subsidized land grab.

I can think of others – Why didn’t Lovelace et al put a plan in front of the bankruptcy court? What of all the rumored attempts, and fallings-out? Where’s their money going to come from? Is it just Nature Conservancy or is it heavily dependent, or totally dependent on government money ala Headwaters? Why put out this flyer when you have no plan before the court, and have no idea what plan will be chosen? And that’s just for starters. Are those rhetorical questions? No, I don’t think so. Who do you think is behind it? Now that might be a rhetorical question. If you already know the answer.

anon said: “How does it intend to do that? What are its funding sources? How much money does it have? Does it propose to buy Palco’s timberlands at auction? If so, what happens to the mill? What is its business model? Where is its business plan? How much timber will it harvest each year? How many timber and mill workers will it employ? Which of the reorganization plans under consideration does it back? Would it operate as a nonprofit? If so, what happens to the average $1.5 million Humboldt County receives each year in property taxes from Palco?”

GET OVER YOURSELF!!!!! you dont get a vote in the matter and you arent selling your company. you are a BYSTANDER!!!

if i had a company for sale, i would look at all offers that were on the table. to act like YOU control the sale of a PRIVATE company is a joke. bankruptcy judges will decide the best outcome as they see fit, not some local yokel who has no stake in the matter.

So Art Harwood, who ran his own multi-generational mill operation into the ground and recently filed for bankruptcy himself, is the guy the Lovelace folk have picked to turn the Palco ship around? Brilliant. Remember those two morons Lenny and Squiggy from that “Happy Days” spinoff? Mark and Art are starting to sound a lot like them. Tweedle Dumb and Tweedle Dumber. Unbelievable.

4:51,
why didnt you mention the downfall of the entire lumber market locally? do you realize that the price of lumber has been FALLING and that the cost to run an outfit is INCREASING?

why on earth are you just assuming that art harwood is a dumbass? to assume that all local business ownerers who failed in the timber industry are dumb seems a bit judgemental. i wouldnt call hurwitz dumb, he failed. or maybe you just hate loggers and mill workers as much as you hate everyone else? i dont know what your problem is other than a lack of understanding of basic supply side economics.

Theo, the entire industry is definitely facing hard times. You’re absolutely right. But some mill operations have proven they can survive a lean market, and some have bellied up. Whoever ends up in control of Palco will face this same market. It’s not going away anytime soon. So why would we pick a man who has proven he doesn’t have what it takes to navigate a company through these tough times to run a second, much larger company during the same tough times?

I’m not assuming anything about the man. I’ve known Art Harwood professionally for years and wouldn’t put him in charge of a bake sale. That’s just one man’s opinion, but I’m entitled to it.

Lovelace is also a bystander in this game. He also doesn’t have a say. Neither does the State of California, Diane Feinstein, federal resource agencies, the Eureka Chamber of Commerce, the Eureka Reporter, the County of Humboldt, local supervisors and some of the candidates that hope to replace them, but that hasn’t stopped them from voicing opinions. This case is important to the whole community, and we should all be encouraged to participate in the discourse. Theo can stop talking about it if he chooses, but I’m not going to.

7:08,
a person that puts an offer on the table is NOT a bystander. if i had a business up for sale, i sure wouldnt care what you thought about the prspective buyers………..are you some kind of socialist? PALCO is a PRIVATE company!!! all you could name were agents of BIG BROTHER!!!

Earth to Theo: Mark Lovelace doesn’t have a plan on the table. It’s kind of an important point in this whole debate. No. Plan. On. The. Table. None. He is not a plan proponent. He is not part of any of the existing plans. He’s a bystander who wants to be a player but isn’t.

I’ve worked for the company 15 years. Do I get an opinion or does that just make me a socialist too? I’ve got more to lose than most of you “opinionators” and I agree Lovelace and Harwood are hazards. I don’t know one person here who would work for them longer than it takes to get their resumes updated.

Actually he succeeded. As a corporate raider this is exactly what he expected and knew would happen. He bought – stripped the cash – borrowed with no way to pay back (from a company that had its cash stripped). That is exactly the structure corporate raiders use. Take a look at his other successes – you will see the same method used.